In practice, it is known that, for example in the production of sausage-shaped products, like sausages, filling material is fed by a filling machine through a filling tube of a clipping machine into a tubular packaging casing which is stored on the filling tube and which is closed at its front end, i.e. the end pointing in the feeding direction of the filling material by a closure means, like a closure clip. The tubular packaging casing is pulled-off from the filling tube while being filled by the feeding pressure. A casing brake applies a frictional force to the tubular packaging casing while being pulled-off from the filling tube, in order to control the pull-off motion of the tubular packaging casing. After a predetermined amount of filling material has been filled into said tubular packaging casing, gathering means with a first and a second displacer unit which can each be formed by a pair of reversibly moveable displacement elements, forms a plait-like portion of the tubular packaging casing, which is at least approximately free from filling material. The clipping machine then places and closes at least one closure clip at the plait-like portion forming the rear end of the sausage shaped product, i.e. the end pointing against the feeding direction by a clipping device having respective closing tools which are reversibly movable towards the plait-like portion.
In order to prevent an operator from reaching in the movable parts of the clipping machine during the production process, like the gathering means, the clipping device and/or parts of the drive means for driving the clipping machine, known clipping machines are provided with a coverage or housing. For enabling a refill of tubular packaging casing on the filling tube or for facilitating cleaning of the clipping machine after a production cycle, portions of the coverage or housing of said known clipping machines may be pivoted from the clipping machine to reach in interior regions of the clipping machine.
For refilling tubular packaging casing, e.g. prepackaged casing material, on the filling tube, said tubular packaging casing is shifted onto the filling tube, with its front end facing towards the gathering means. The front end of said tubular packaging casing, typically, is already closed by a closure clip. Accordingly, the operator has to guide this end of the tubular packaging casing through the casing brake and further through the gathering means for placing at least the closure clip downstream the gathering means. Thus, the operator needs access not only to the casing brake, but also to the gathering means which usually are covered by the housing of the clipping machine, or at least by portions thereof.
The housing portions of the housing of known clipping machines are often cumbersome to handle, e.g. while opening the housing. Accordingly, opening said housing portions is circumstantial, refilling tubular packaging casing on the filling tube is time consuming and not user friendly.
Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide a clipping machine which overcomes the above mentioned drawbacks and which is provided with a housing that allows easy and secure access to interior portions of the clipping machine.